Full Moon - Hostel

Pham Ngu Lao is a handy base for tourists, with hotels, bars, cafes, and markets all around. I did laundry at Dan’s Wash & Stay (185/10 Pham Ngu Lao), a self-service place open 24 hours. It cost 30K per load, and the machines were clean and quick. Great for a short stay.

The rooms looked newly renovated and clean, and the location was okay, but I wouldn’t recommend staying here. Small ants were almost everywhere in our room on the 4th floor, and there’s no lift, so luggage or mobility issues could make the stairs difficult. The terrace looked nice online, but had no cover from sun or rain and not even a fan. The “common kitchen” in the photos is for the family, not guests. It barely felt like a hostel, with hardly any other guests and a family that seemed to avoid interacting. We didn’t feel welcome from the first day. Staff often ignored even a hello. At arrival, they only asked for our passports and payment, without explaining the facilities, the water dispenser, or that the door gets locked at night. The only person who smiled and was nice to us was the cleaning lady. On our last day, my boyfriend had a high fever and was very sick. I asked whether he could stay in bed five hours past checkout since our flight was then, and offered to pay half a day’s rate. Even though several identical double rooms were empty, they charged us the full room price.

The rooms were clean and had basic amenities, but they were quite small. There’s no elevator.

A very clean hostel, and the aunty was so helpful and welcoming to every guest. I’d highly recommend staying here and would come back if I go to HCMC 😍